Our Lives Are A Mess: Ficlets And Drabbles
by AvatarofBahamut
Summary: Being thrown into the world of a video game, being forced to be in high school again, and trying not to mess things up...you could say our lives are already a mess as it is. To think, we were just regular college students once. But you know what? Regular is overrated. Mostly humorous pieces with a serious one or two interspersed. Minato/Aigis, OCs.
1. Introduction

1. Introduction

They were ordinary college students to begin with. The two friends were not the type of people to believe in magic, but now there was a large amount of evidence to point to the contrary. If it wasn't magic, though, it was probably the most screwed-up, but fascinating and intricate dream either of them had ever had. And both of them were having it.

Somehow, on a rainy Sunday in April, something strange occurred when Kurt had booted up his copy of Persona 3 FES. There was a new option- "Your Journey". This was opposed to the usual options the game presented when starting up. And then, after that, the two were sucked inside of his TV. It would have reminded Kevin of Persona 4 had he not been so frightened of what was happening at that moment.

And where did that lead the two of them? Well, moments later, Kurt and his friend, Marisa, found themselves at none other than Gekkoukan High School, on April 7th, 2009. Their bodies had been reverted to the ages they were at during that time, and their clothes had been replaced with Gekkoukan uniforms. This was shocking, to say the least. What were they doing in the world they had only thought of as a game?

It was certainly a bumpy ride to begin with, that was for sure.

Having come to this world, they chose to take new names due to curiosity regarding an experience involving the student roster list. Kurt became Kevin, and Marisa changed her name to Morgan. They managed to get through the first day without too much trouble, but once the Dark Hour came, it was abundantly clear things would not be quiet for either of them. They were both aware and active during that time, leaving them to wonder if they would be swept up in the events they knew were to come. Only time would tell.

One thing was for certain though: Their time here would not be boring. And maybe, just maybe, they'd one day find out how and why they wound up there.

And so began their messy lives in the world of Persona 3.

...

**Author's Notes:**

**These drabbles and ficlets are a collection intended to advertise a Persona 3 RP ( titled "Our Loves Are a Mess"), taking place between the two blogs, p3olaamhangedman, and p3olaamhermit, run by myself and my RP partner, the Hermit. It is an adventure that is mostly intended to be humorous, though still taking things seriously when it needs to. Employing overused tropes? Yes. Making commentary about the use of said tropes? Oh, you can bet we will from time to time. Making people smile and laugh? We hope so... Annoying and exasperating others? Yeah, that will probably happen to. It's fun, it's terrible, it's something we picked up and ran with.**

**I welcome you, and hope you enjoy your stay. If not...well...I apologize for any trauma you may incur from reading this in advance. You have been warned.**


	2. Swimsuits (FeMC AU)

2. Swimsuits (FeMC AU)

"Remind me again why we are here, Minako-kohai?"

Morgan and Minako were standing among what appeared to be a forest of clothing. More specifically, swimwear. The lights from the store ceiling seemed to glare down, as if accusing her. As if they were asking her why she was just standing there with a deer in the headlights look.

"Well, you said you needed a swimsuit for the Yakushima trip, right? So I thought I would be fun to help you pick out a swimsuit."

Morgan shook her head.

"It's a kind gesture, but I don't need you to help me pick one out. I can manage," Morgan excused herself.

"Nonsense, senpai! Sure you can find one on your own, but how fun would that be? Besides, you'll have a second opinion. And you're always advocating for those, aren't you?"

"Well…yes. I suppose that's true," Morgan flushed red, trying to to imagine what sort of suit Minako would choose for her. Then again, it was Minako, and not one of the others like Yukari or Mitsuru. What's the worst that could happen?

Honestly, Morgan Foster should not have asked that question.


	3. Swimsuits 2 (FeMC AU)

3. Swimsuits 2 (FeMC AU)

Kevin wandered down to Minako, who was waiting over by the dressing room which Morgan had locked herself into.

"Come on, senpai! It looks really cute on you!"

"Minako, there's no way I'm wearing this to the Yakushima trip," Morgan argued back. Kevin shook his head. It was then that Minako noticed her male's classmate's presence.

"Oh, Kevin-kun!"

"Kevin? Dude, you gotta help me! Minako's trying to...make me wear something really ...look, I just don't want to wear it."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. Minako looked and saw Kevin had a plastic bag with him.

"Doing some shopping?," she asked.

"Yeah, I don't have any swim trunks...or I didn't. I just bought some," he replied flatly. Minako turned back to the door of the dressing room.

"Maybe you'll catch the attention of some really cute guy while we're at the beach!"

Morgan sighed.

"Minako-chan, listen, I don't need or want to impress **anyone**. I don't care if it's cute or sexy or whatever! I just want a plain swimsuit that's comfortable to go swimming in."

She banged on the door.

"Come on Kevin, tell her to stop it!"

Kevin shook his head.

"Not sure I want to get involved with this one," he replied, "Besides, I think Junpei is waving to me."

Morgan growled in frustration. She looked in the full length mirror at herself. It was a purple one-piece at least, thank god for small miracles. But it was just so...form-fitting and frilly. Morgan felt like a dainty little flower walking around in it.

She really shouldn't have let herself be dragged her by Minako in the first place.

Minako wasn't sure how to convince her to buy it. It really looked good on her, she thought. Then, a thought occurred to her, causing her to chuckle almost maniacally.

"You know...you could always keep it for the next time Theo's around to check in on you and Kevin. I'm sure he'd get so flustered! hehe."

At that moment, Morgan peaked her head out of the door.

"I have to admit, driving Theo cuckoo is one of my favorite pastimes."

Morgan closed the door again, starting to change back into her regular clothes.

"It looks like I win this round," Minako chuckled softly to herself.


	4. Morgan's Research Project

4. Morgan's Research Project

She had a mountain of books stacked in front of her that day, and several more open around her. The senior student was frantically taking notes as she realized that she was being watched. She looked up to see the familiar blue-haired boy leaning down to see the contents of the volumes she had open.

"Oh, kohai, I didn't expect to see you here today," she greeted him, "What's up?"

Minato picked up one of the books she was reading and glanced over the title.

"Primordeal Greek Deities: Tales of the Lesser Known Gods," he recited the title aloud. He then leafed through to the page Morgan had been on, starting to skim through the paragraphs.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a research project I'm working on," Morgan said hesitantly, blushing nervously. Well, that much was true. Although, her motivations were certainly not academic in nature.

"Is it for a class?," he asked curiously.

"Well…"

Morgan saw that Minato had his thumb over the opening page to the chapter on Nyx. She restrained herself from gulping.

"No, no it's a personal interest actually," Morgan admitted.

Minato raised an eyebrow.

"I've always been into mythology actually," she said, "And I noticed that our Personas tended to be named after greek deities…mostly…So, I guess I got curious and decided to do a little lore hunting."

Minato grunted in acknowledgement, looking back at the book before putting it down. While that wasn't the real story behind her intent, it was certainly something she had thought about. And…it was a committee day, so she was supposed to be in the library anyway. But, there weren't many students around and it was almost closing time, so it was a good opportunity for her to seize the moment.

Minato shrugged.

"It's almost time to go," he reminded her.

Morgan looked at the clock and sighed.

"True," she replied, looking back at the books as though she was being told she couldn't have a second helping of her favorite food, "Alright then, would you help me clean up?"

One nice thing about Minato is that he never questioned her too much on her actions. Well, most of the time. But, each time they were together, it seemed as though his curiosity grew. Normally, she would have seen it as a good thing, as it meant he was being more social, and this would help him in the long run. But, she felt uneasy at the prospect that he may one day notice that she knew more about their situation than she was letting on.


	5. The Last Moment (FeMC AU)

5. The Last Moment (FeMC AU- Implied Ryoji/FeMC)

"Come to me, Minako," its voice echoed like the toll of a funeral bell.

His eyes were blackened, his transformation completed since that fateful night a month before. He and Nyx were one now. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't Ryoji anymore. Morgan looked over, seeing Minako's eyes shimmer from the tears that wouldn't come. If nobody else died tonight, she regretted that he was the only one that couldn't be saved. Morgan grabbed the redhead's hand and locked her gaze.

"I wish things could have been different, too."

Minako shook her head.

"Even if we can't change one person's fate, we can still fight for the rest of us. Even he never wanted any of this," she reassured her.

Minako nodded, pulling her evoker from its holster.

"Thank you, Morgan. Now, let's fight so the world can see tomorrow with open eyes."

Morgan chuckled.

"Now that's the leader we know and love."

Morgan looked over to Kevin and the rest of the group. Everyone was here, for one last fight.

"This won't be our last dance with death," Morgan whispered under her breath, "Not by a long shot."

Minako made the opening move, crying out the name of her ultimate persona. A white light outlined the figure appearing behind, raising its hand to the Dark Hour sky.

"MESSIAH!"

And so began the battle for everyone's souls.

**Author's Note: Slightly altered from the original on tumblr for contextual purposes. Also, a quick notes that these pieces will jump around timeline wise.**


	6. Suffering

6. Suffering

"Why do you think it's impossible to defeat Nyx? Why can't you stay? Believe in me and my power?," Minato asked.

"I'm sorry… I had to do what I had to do, and warning you was a part of that. I did believe that you were capable of immense power, but I…," Ryoji hesitated,"I was just…so worried about you. Nyx was stronger than anything I had ever seen or could even imagine. And if there was a chance that you would suffer, I wanted to avoid that any way I could."

"Suffering is a part of life," Morgan said, "Your life...as a human, anyway, has been but a flicker in the dark compared to many."

She found the more creative side of her taking control, waxing poetic as a part of of her search to find the right words.

"I know you don't want the people who are precious to you to suffer more than they have, to suffer as you have...and the knowledge of who you are and what you must do has brought you great suffering."

She tugged at the hem of his scarf, lowering it so she could fully see his face.

"None of this is your fault, nor your desire," Morgan spoke softly and gently as she held onto to the fabric in her hands.

"Nyx is indeed powerful, and you are right to say that she can't be defeated outright," she admitted, "But I think...no, I KNOW we can save the world from the fall. We will all face death one day, but it won't be because some idiot scientists thought to drag the world with them into their pit of despair. Our day to meet our end will come... but not a day sooner than that."

"I'm scared to die, Ryoji. I'm scared of suffering. But running away and ignoring it won't solve anything. You forgot who you were, but you also ran from it. You were scared to know the truth. In a way...what you're asking if for us to be like you...And well..."

She cleared her throat.

"I for one, know I can't be someone I'm not. The outside might change, but deep down, I'll always be me. And what I want...is to not run away from the things I'm afraid of anymore. And death and suffering are among them. And besides..."

She tried her hardest to bring his gaze to hers.

"Knowing you, I think if you had the choice, you'd be fighting right along with us to protect this world, to protect the people you care about. So, Ryoji..."

She tugged on his scarf teasingly, managing a weak smile.

"Give us the chance to do what you can't. Give us the benefit of the doubt. Yes, we will suffer, but either way, you suffer no matter what. Give us a chance...to get through this together. You don't need to suffer alone."

She let go of his scarf, wondering what was going through his mind as she was telling him this. The two of them stared at each other in silence, until he finally broke the deafening silence that accompanied her words.


	7. Walking the Dog

7. Walking the Dog

Kevin had deliberately been _trying_ to keep himself at a distance from the other members of SEES. Save for Morgan, of course. But surely dogs don't count, right? He was thinking this to himself as the silver-furred canine took the lead for their way down to the shrine. Occasionally, Koromaru would look back at the young man with those red eyes of his, wagging his tail in anticipation.

With Koromaru, Kevin was not shy to heap on praise. He dissolved to baby talk from time to time, as well. Needless to say, Kevin was very much found of animals. Canines though, had a special place in Kevin's heart. Kevin's own Persona was a canid, of a sort. Though, he thought, Koromaru was no ordinary dog. This dog came with him and the others into Tartarus at night to fight shadows. It had its own persona, for goodness sake! What a brave, good boy he was, he mushed over the dog to himself.

Eventually, they came upon the shrine, and he sat himself down at a nearby bench, and Koromaru ran off to the playground.

Out of all the other SEES members, he think he enjoyed walking the dog the most. It was one of the most simple, most ordinary things that got to do in this world after all. Sure, there was cooking club with Fuuka, Minato, and Morgan, he supposed. But this was something he often did alone. This was time for himself away from the others. Well, except for Koromaru, he reminded himself. But, he didn't mind it. Far from it.

After time passed and he was left to himself, Koromaru returned, patiently waiting for Kevin to get up and take him home.

"Do you mind if we make a quick stop, Koro-chan?," he asked, petting him gently, "I need to pick up some butter for Fuuka real quick. I'm going to help her with a batch of cookies tomorrow."

Koromaru barked and wagged his tail.

His thoughts wandered to Fuuka for a moment. Sure, she was kind of a disaster in the kitchen without help, but he didn't mind pitching in. No, he didn't mind at all. Maybe if they worked together, the cookies would come out perfect, and maybe that just might make her smile.

Kevin realized he was getting lost in his thought and that Koromaru was still waiting patiently for him.

"Alright, let's go, Koro-chan," he piped up apologetically. The dog barked affirmatively to him and began walking ahead of the young man. The two departed the shrine, enjoying the nice weather on their walk back to the dorm.


	8. Someone's Bad Fanfiction

8. Someone's Bad Fanfiction

The two friends had thought about it from time to time. Being in this world was often like being stuck in the middle of a poorly written fanfiction, using some of the same tired tropes used by authors time and again. Granted, these tropes could be used to great success. Great stories could be written about ordinary people getting carted off to a new world, and somehow becoming apart of its fabric in a major way. But, this was really happening to them, and it often felt like they were at the mercy of someone's strange idea of what it might be like to have to live in this world.

They were willing to see that it made sense to be reverted to the ages they were in 2009, and to assume the role of Gekkoukan students. They were excited, though questioning, of their ability to brave the Dark Hour. And later, they were blown away that they got to be apart of the group that mattered to this tale. They could summon their own Personas and fight alongside these people. It all seemed so bizarre.

There was the strange incident with the changing post-it notes on the school roster that allowed for them to assume new identities. It was a curious event, and one they took advantage of because of the curiosity it instilled. And then, wasn't it a little too convenient that they could be active during the Dark Hour and summon a persona? And how could it be a coincidence that they managed to get noticed and taken into SEES?

In addition, they had a small collection of their old belongings, and all of their memories, including those involving the events to come. They had considered the fact that being here might alter the course of everyone's destinies, though they weren't sure it would be for the better. And then there were time where they seemed to have no effect at all. On top of all of that, they basically had what amounted to a babysitter. Not just any, though, for he was a guardian, courteous of the Velvet Room. Their presence hadn't gone unnoticed by some powers that be, and Igor had sent one of his assistants, Theodore, to assure that the two friends did not jeopardize the chance Minato gave the world to escape the cruel fate of an early grave.

But, in spite of everything, they were nowhere close to figuring out why they were even in this world in the first place. Neither friend possessed the wild card ability- each had only one persona, and that was it. And initially, they were notably weaker than the other SEES members. Of course, over time they were beginning to be on par, and better in some areas. But, they continued to struggle with how their presence might affect the world around them, and how close they would allow themselves to get to people here. Morgan was more willing to befriend people and provide support to others, but she often did not enable the reverse, to have someone befriend and support her. Kevin was initially not even that open to the idea of bonding with the others. They would only later realize that they couldn't keep their distance, and in the end, they were going to suffer, whether they wished to or not.

This was their reality. Whether it was someone's bad fanfiction or no, they had to live it. But would they see where this journey would end?


	9. The Hermit and the Hanged Man

9. The Hermit and the Hanged Man

Kevin had acquired a notebook during their first week that he had set aside for their activities related to SEES and Tartarus. It was a quiet evening for him, with most of the others having gone out. Even Morgan had gone out with Mitsuru to the Cafe for some coffee and a change to discuss some of their school material. The Iwatodai dorm was empty.

It was a good time for him to review a few things, he thought.

He opened his notebook, flipping through his writings. Most of it was regarding Shadows they fought, stuff they learned, and important dates they had to remind themselves of. At the back of the notebook, he had saved a special section for the personas they had acquired. There still wasn't much they knew about them. But every time they went to Tartarus was a learning experience.

Kevin's Persona was Cadmean, a massive red fox with swirls that created intricate patterns in its fur, and a large color with two streams flowing behind it. It was apparently based on an old Greek myth about a creature know, unsurprisingly, as the Cadmean Fox. It was said to be a creature of titanic size, but so swift that no hunter could catch it. There was a special hound that had chased it to the ends of the earth, one that was said to be able to catch anything. And their chase would continue into eternity. It fit the general theme of the SEES members, who mostly also bore personae who were based on Greek mythos. And, when he thought about it, the persona itself suited him. He was constantly trying to be distant and illusive, relying in his wits. And the fact Cadmean was a Hermit arcana persona was also a telling reflection of the young man who wielded it.

And then there was Morgan. Her persona was a strange creature of sorts- a large rabbit with wings, large teeth, and a pair of antlers that jutted out just in front of its ears. They could find little about it, only discovering that it was a creature of Germanic folklore. Its name...was Wolpertinger. Wolpertingers were mythical rodents that possessed parts of other animals, though wings and antlers were the most common and quite iconic. They were said to wonder the forests in the wintertime, but that was all they could uncover. This one being a rabbit made some sense- Morgan was a docile and soft-spoken individual. Morgan's Wolpertinger was a persona of the Hanged Man arcana, though, which said more about her than the persona itself. The hanged man was a symbol of altruism, of self-sacrifice, and of acceptance. Morgan went out of her way to help the other members of SEES, sometimes at great personal risk. And for the most part, she was more accepting of their fate than Kevin was. She wanted to believe they could change things for the better. But, could they? He was doubtful.

He scribbled a few more notes into the notebook when he saw Minato walk in the door with Junpei. He had a feeling they'd be wanting to get his attention, and he rather not have them peering over his shoulder.


	10. Morgan, Ryoji's Princess for a Day

10. Morgan, Ryoji's Princess for a Day (Possible Ship Tease Ficlet)

She was going to say no. It was as simple letting the word escape her lips. And he had the decency to ask her in private away from prying eyes. They were on the roof of the school in fact, with only the two of them in immediate earshot of one another. But for some reason, it felt like the refusal was trapped inside of her lips, unable to break free. Because the truth was, she didn't want to say those words. But, she argued with herself, she had to. It was better to cut this off before it had a chance to grow roots.

Ryoji had appeared at the school three days prior, and from the moment she saw him in the flesh, standing next to Minato and Junpei, she felt her heart beginning to sink. He was all smiles, so happy to be at Gekkoukan, taking in all the sights and sounds with the wonder of a child. In fact, his face was as boyish looking as she remembered, especially with that big yellow scarf of his that he was always wearing. But the rest of his clothes- the suspenders, the buttoned shirt, slacks and shoes, suggested more sophistication and taste.

"It's okay if you don't want to, I understand," he reassured her, laughing in the merry manner he often expressed in public, briefly running his hands through his smooth raven hair. Her attention was called back from analyzing his appearance. Or, that's the term she used. She didn't want to admit she might have been ogling him. Maybe just a little bit. Her face turned red at the thought.

"T-that's very kind of you, and I'm flattered," she stammered, "But I am no princess, I assure you."

And why was he asking her of all people? That was the thing that confounded her the most, not the fact he was asking. He was a flirt, he was being completely himself. But he had many girls who'd probably leap at the chance to be his princess for a day.

"Is that so, senpai? I could have easily mistaken you for one," he responded cheerily.

He was looking right at her with those blue eyes of his, and he looked so cute, and how could she say no when he was looking at her with that puppy-face... With the silence she was giving him, perhaps he was expecting her to say no at this point.

Of course, he wasn't quite a pup anymore in the form of the child, Pharos. The wolf had grown, and though he was passive now, he would grow into his fangs in two months time. Even so, he was looking down at her, more than half a foot taller. But that was nothing compared to what he would become.

Even knowing that, all she could see now was the playful boy standing in front of her, making her blush and all wobbly in the knees and...curse you, Ryoji, she thought. Stop that this instant!

"Alright, I'll go out with you today...," Morgan resisted the urge to stifle the last three words, "...on...a date."

She conceded. After all, there was no harm in one small indulgence. After all, it wasn't everyday someone called her a princess. And you know what? It was kind of adorable. Man, was she really this easy to persuade? Where did that will of steel of hers go? She probably left it under her bed with her Evoker, she joked to herself sardonically.

"Wonderful! Well then, may I take your hand, Morgan-senpai?," he offered his hand out to her. Morgan's blush intensified.

"Ummm...are you sure it's okay?," she asked.

"Of course. A princess needs an escort," he smiled gently. He saw how hot and bothered she looked and waited patiently for her.

"It's alright, you don't need to be shy," he coaxed her to take his hand in hers.

"Well," she countered as he began to lead her along down the stairs from the roof to the main floor, "A princess these days doesn't really need anything, actually."

"Perhaps not," he replied, "But, I appreciate that you're letting me do it anyway."

Morgan smiled a little.

"I guess I can't argue with that."

The two walked through the front doors together. Several girls gave Morgan dark glares, to which Morgan only responded with a raised eyebrow, almost tempted to shrug in false ignorance. She also wanted to give them the bird, but that wasn't really appropriate.

"If I'm a princess for a day, that I guess that makes you my prince," she jested to Ryoji, "For today, at least."

...

**Author's note (May Contain Vague, but Minor Spoilers): As I said in the intro, most ships aren't 100 % locked in yet, but we have been playing around with a few, though most were scrapped. Most of these were canon/canon, but we also considered that, realistically, it would be hard for Kevin or Morgan to not grow romantic attachments to somebody. Even if it was just one sided. Ryoji was one of the characters my friend proposed as a possible LI or crush for Morgan, and given some of our plans for the story, it would up the emotional ante during a critical stage in her character development. **


	11. Rumors (MinatoxAigis)

11. Rumors (Minato/Aigis)

"WHAT!?"

Kevin was taken aback that this rumor was going around. But was even more interesting was how Minato was actually giving a care about it. The young man adjusted his glasses, looking back at the blue-haired boy.

"Well, are you?"

"No! I'm not going out with Aigis! I'm not even interested in her! I...like someone else," Kevin faltered on the last few words, realizing what he had just admitted aloud. Shit, he really shouldn't have said that. But, that part of the sentence didn't seem to concern Minato anyhow. Minato simply nodded.

"I see. So people are just casually spreading rumors again...as they always do."

"It's true Aigis has...been following around. But, I don't know what her deal is, I swear," Kevin asserted. For some reason, the female robot had taken an interest in following Kevin around since the incident with Ikutski. He wondered if Aigis had put two and two together, but he wasn't sure at this point. But, admittedly, it looked rather strange. Then again, Aigis hadn't quite become human enough just yet.

"You already made yourself clear," Minato interjected. He started to put back on his headphones when Kevin briefly stopped him.

"Why does it matter to you, anyway, Minato?"

Minato briefly smirked. Wait, he smirked? This was a first for Kevin.

"It's simple, really," Minato spoke flatly before he pulled his hand from Kevin's and put his headphones back up, vanishing into the crowd, "Anyway, that's all I wanted to know. I won't trouble you more today."

Kevin was left scratching his head. Was...Minato worried about the idea of Kevin dating Aigis?


	12. Thoughtless

12. Thoughtless

Kevin crossed his arms. It was the first time he'd every been angry with her. Morgan averted her gaze, keeping her lips tightly sealed. She wasn't going to say anything to make the situation worse.

"How could you do that? Do you realize how stupid that was? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

The young woman remained silent.

"It's bad enough as it is that we had to rush you to the hospital since we had to wait for the Dark Hour to end."

As Kevin continued to berate his friend, Morgan started to shut him out. All she could think about was how she had failed. She was going to prevent a terrible disaster from happening. She had tried to go out to prevent a critical event in the story of Persona 3 from taking place. One event both were aware was a long time coming. But, Kevin never thought this would be something either of them would do anything about. He should have known better.

He realized that her attention was elsewhere and shook his head.

"You're not even listening to me, are you?"

"You would have done the same if it involved someone precious to you. Don't you want to make things turn out better here than they did the first time? Don't you want to do something with the fact that we've been put here in this place?"

Kevin sighed, exasperated.

"We have that chance!"

"No, Morgan."

"Kevin!"

"Listen to me," he argued, "Even if we do try to change things, do you think our actions, our very presence here, has even meant a damn? Look around you! Almost nothing about this world has changed since we've been here, even after we got our personas and joined SEES."

And now this happened, he regarded her mentally. She was lying in the hospital bed in front of him, her right leg in a large cast, and covered in several bandages that concealed her bruises and cuts. But even so, she had a look of defiance on her face.

"So you're saying it's all a show. In the end, we don't even really matter here. I'm calling bull on that," she rebuked him, "Besides, if that's the case, then why the hell are we here?"

"We're still no closer to that than day one," he admitted, "There may not be one, you know. Or it could be some cosmic power's idea of a sick joke, who's to say?"

Yes, it was all jokes and buffoonery until somebody got hurt. And that was no laughing matter.

"Well, I want our presence here to mean something...that's why..."

She paused, biting her lip.

"That's why I did something so thoughtless."

**Author's Note: My friend and I talked about something more serious like this happened down the road. I thought this would be good practice for that. I want to apologize, I was intending to take this story down because of some criticism I received regarding the intro. Honestly, you would think after writing fanfiction for as long as I have, I would have learned to deal with negative feedback by now. Anyway, I made some revisions and put this story back up. I'm sorry I responded so childishly. **


	13. Study Buddies

13. Study Buddies

Much of what the two friends had been learning in school was review for them, so usually there was hardly a need to study. But Morgan had the obligation of taking French as a member of the senior class. And so, from time to time, she could have to pull out her textbook to butcher a romance language.

Her classmate and fellow SEES member, Mitsuru, had taken notice to this. She sort of took it upon herself to take Morgan aside. And protesting that it wasn't needed had little to no effect. So, here Morgan was now, stuck in a room with Mitsuru, trying to carry on a conversation in a language she would have soon passed up. She knew when the redhead had a goal in mind, she was going to go after it. And right now, it seemed that goal was to make it so Morgan didn't sound like a sick octopus.

"The x doesn't need to be pronounced," she corrected her regarding her last sentence. Morgan grumbled a bit before attempting the sentence again. And again. And again. This tended to happen a lot during their study sessions, and Mitsuru wouldn't stop until she was satisfied that Morgan had a grasp of the situation. She could swear her tongue would be tied in a bow afterwards.

As much as Morgan actually liked Mitsuru, this was a side of her that grated on the young woman. Especially when she would rather be doing other things.

Mitsuru looked at the clock hanging on the wall and nodded.

"That's enough for today," she excused Morgan. The brunette sighed heavily with relief. But then, she look back up at Mitsuru, who was pulling out another one of her textbooks.

"If you want, I could stick around and we could work on other things," she offered. Mitsuru perked up.

"There are advantages to studying together. I'd welcome it," she replied. She could have sworn she saw the redhead smile for a moment before opening her textbook. Morgan didn't need to study that subject, but maybe it would be an opportunity to get to know Mitsuru better. She didn't seem to take much time for herself as of late, so Morgan doubted extended an invitation would have worked at this point.

"Alright, so, where do we start?"


	14. Fault

14. Fault (Sort of a Continuation of "Thoughtless")

She was resting now, allowing herself to escape into the world of a dream. Maybe for just a moment, she would have some peace and quiet. Morgan would not be allowed any quiet this time.

The young woman was half-asleep, her eyes drooping when she heard the nurse open the door.

"Miss Foster, you have a visitor."

She expected it to be Kevin. After all, things kind of ended on a sour note the last time they had talked. Morgan wanted to tell him she was sorry, and that he was right to scold her for running into danger so easily. After all, if they ever had any hope of going home, the most important thing was to keep themselves in one piece. But, it was hard for her to do when what dominated her thoughts was not her personal safety, but the well-being of another. Someone...precious to her.

She struggled to be fully awake, but her eyes still drooped as her head rested on the pillow, her head in the direction of the hospital window.

"Morgan-chan..."

It was not just the voice, but the use of the term of endearment that signaled it was not Kevin who had come to see her. Morgan tightened her grip on her sheets, recognizing who instead the person speaking was. His voice was trembling and contrite. She tried to speak his name, but couldn't for fear that it would sound watery from the tears she was trying to hold back.

She heard the squeak of a chair he pulled up next to her bed.

"I'm so sorry, I...this is all my fault."

"No," she rejected the statement, "It's mine. I couldn't protect you and I paid the price for it."

"W-what?"

"I wanted to protect you, because...because I just couldn't bear the that I...we might lose you," she whimpered.

She felt a hand take hers.

"Some would like to think things are set in stone. But things can change. For better or for worse... that's why...I...why I stood between you and..."

The images of the incident flashed across her mind. The tears streamed heavily down her face, and she would not turn to face him know he would see her like this. She wanted to be strong. Especially now of all times.

Her companion was at a loss for words. But he remained at her side, tightly holding her hand as if he feared she would leave him. But she wasn't going anywhere soon.

"But in the end, fault doesn't really matter, does it?"

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before finally turning herself around to the best of her ability to face her visitor.

**Author's Note: Purposely left the event in question ambiguous, as well as the person in the room, well, except for the fact it's a he. Thought it might be more fun to let people speculate. Also tried to make the relationship somewhat ambiguous as well. It's clear whoever this is is important to Morgan, but how is supposed to be up to the reader. **


	15. To Their Own Devices

15. To Their Own Devices (Possible Ship Tease)

November was a pretty quiet month for the cooking club. There were about people who joined to begin with - Fuuka, Minato, and then the two friends, Kevin and Morgan. But, as of late, the two members were nowhere to be found. Minato was spending a lot of time with his sports team and when he wasn't doing that, he was spending quite a bit of time with Junpei and Yukari. As for Morgan, she at least showed up on the meeting before the Kyoto trip. Kevin was still chuckling to himself about what she said to him.

"Just so you know, I might be missing a few meetings this month," she told him, with some regret in her voice.

"Oh, did something come up in the library?," Kevin asked, thinking it might have something to do with school. Morgan shook her head.

"Well, let's just say it turns out I'm not so immune to someone giving me puppy eyes after all..."

She briefly had a defeated look on her face. Uh oh, Kevin thought to herself. Someone convinced her to clear her schedule for them today, and possibly in the future, given her statement. Usually if something like this happened, it was Mitsuru dragging her off to study, or something like that. But, when did Mitsuru give puppy eyes to convince anyone of anything? Well, obviously, he mentally retorted, the person in question wasn't Mitsuru.

"But, I'm sure I can leave you to your own devices, yes?"

Kevin nodded.

"Well, neither of us have burned the school down," he joked with her.

"Alright then," she laughed, "I hope you and Fuuka have fun today," she waved at the small blue-haired girl sitting beyond Kevin. A few moments later, a tall figure walked up behind Morgan in the hallway.

"Sorry, that's my cue to go. Later!"

With that, she vanished. And so, Kevin realized it would just be him...and Fuuka. And then it hit him. He was alone with Fuuka. His face turned red for a moment.

"Kevin-kun? Is something wrong?"

Kevin snapped himself out of his flustered state.

"Oh, I'm fine. Say, how are those cookies coming along?"

He checked the oven, where a batch of cookies the two had worked on were slowly baking. He could already smell an aroma coming from them. And for once, it wasn't something hideous. It...was actually quite nice, he thought.

It certainly seemed to make Fuuka happy.

"Oh, my, that cinnamon smells wonderful, doesn't it, Kevin-kun?"

Kevin perked up, a smile crossing his lips.

"Yeah, it sure does."

Fuuka sat at one of the counters, going over the recipe in the cookbook they had out.

"Let's see... it's been about five minutes...we have about... twenty?"

The blue-haired girl wasn't sure about what she was reading.

"That sounds about right," Kevin assured her. He sat down next to her, adjusting the goggles on his head.

Fuuka started off a mess when it came to her cooking skills. But, having friends join the cooking club did a lot for her, he thought. And now, she didn't just have Minato. She had Morgan, as well as himself. And for a short time, Shinjiro was in the picture as well. He paused at the thought of Shinjiro, his mood going sour for a moment or two until Fuuka chimed in again.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Kevin nodded.

"Yeah...I was..."

He paused for a moment.

"I was just thinking about Shinji," he admitted, "How he might react if he saw how we were doing now..."

Fuuka nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"We all miss him Kevin," Fuuka reassured him.

That wasn't it, but he was grateful for her words nonetheless.

"Well, I promised Morgan we could handle ourselves, so let's get the frosting ready so we can start decorating when the cookies come out," he suggested. Fuuka nodded, flipping through the book to find the page they needed.

It all felt rather silly to him. Here he was, baking cookies with Fuuka. It just always felt weird to him when he did mundane activities in this world from time to time. Just because...their situation was so far removed from normal. And now they were less than two months away from the end of it all...and a lot of was going to happen between now and then. But, they finally had clues as to their purpose here, that was something, right?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a very sudden sneeze come upon him after hearing a soft thudding noise. It was then he turned around to see Fuuka had dropped the sugar bag. He wiped white powder from his jacket.

"Oh dear..."

It looked as though he needed to focus on reality again. And maybe he should think about locating the broom and dustpan after he assured Fuuka that everything was alright. It was something of a typical occurrence during their time together. Typical, he thought. Now that was not a word he used very often anymore.

**Author's Note:**

**Wrote this to honor the completion of our main story's banner on Tumblr. I am thinking there will be about five more pieces, and then I think then will be a good point to wrap things up here. So there will be about 20 of these in total. That is all.**


	16. Sand and Seclusion

16. Sand and Seclusion

Kevin had decided to take some time away from the rest of SEES to walk alone along the beach, taking in the scenery of Yakushima. His moment of solitude was a rather brief one, however, as he had an unexpected companion join him. Specifically, the companion in question was his and Morgan's de facto babysitter. He had stopped, spotting the Velvet Room attendant watching from a near by tree. Theo was startled by the realization he had been spotted, and promptly fell from his spot.

Now, the two men were sitting near the shoreline, Theo with a pack of ice on his head while Kevin sat next to him.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to see you here," Kevin laughed, "So, is Igor so worried about us making a mess of this world that he sent you to look after us even on our vacation?"

Theodore frowned, his face turning red.

"Master Igor is certainly continuing to be concerned with your presence, but..."

Theodore paused.

"Observing the two of you during a time of recreation was something I chose of my own accord."

Kevin shook his head.

"I thought you might prefer to take a break and leave us be until we returned."

Theodore perked up.

"It is true that...you and Miss Foster can be a lot to handle at times, but I cannot falter from my duties."

Kevin chuckled a bit.

"If you insist. But, you know, you kind of stick out like a sore thumb here."

Kevin pointed to Theodore, who was still fully clad in his usual blue suit and cap. The attendant took a look at the people running around the beach. He sighed.

"It is true that my attire doesn't match the general level of dress that seem to be appropriate to this setting...hmmm..."

"Not that I'd expect you to prepare that much though," Kevin sighed quietly to himself.

Theodore continued to observe everything around him, his golden eyes flickering in the bright sunlight. Kevin could tell this was quite different from what he was used to. Then again, none of the Velvet room attendants were that familiar with the mortal world. Both he and his sister were equally child-like to some capacity when it came to this. They were also genuinely concerned for the safety of their charges, and curious as to how they interacted with this world they knew little about. But, at the same time, they were very powerful beings capable to smashing in your face if you crossed them, he thought.

"You yourself seem to engage in a lot of introspection, Mr. Schwert."

Kevin shrugged.

"I suppose so..."

Theodore then turned his gaze to Kevin, who was still sitting next to him.

"A beach is where humans partake in swimming, is it not?"

Kevin nodded.

"Yes, that's right. They also get tans, play volley ball, you know...that sort of thing."

Theodore removed the ice pack from his temple. He was much more robust than an ordinary being, so his injuries were all but minor, and fixed in little time.

"Getting tans...playing volley ball..."

Kevin crossed his arms over his knees as he watched the gulls glide over the surface of the water and farther up in the sky.

"Yep, some people just like to sit out in the sun until they get crispy...not literally, but, they do it to develop a slightly darker shade to their skin."

Theodore.

"I think I comprehend... although..."

Kevin looked at Theodore.

"Some people do things that even I don't understand, Theo," Kevin told him, "As for volley ball, well, it's a game you play with multiple people..."

Theodore however was hanging onto his first sentence.

"Yes, humans are a mystery, even to themselves. They can be even more of a mystery to those who don't live a finite existence as they do," he mused.

Kevin stood up, offering Theodore a hand to get on his feet.

"Is that so? Well, you can tell me more about it over snow cones," Kevin offered, "If you're up for it, that is."

"A snow cone? I...I suppose I could try one," Theodore managed to get up on his own, dusting sand off of his suit. Kevin walked beside Thedore, the two men searching out where the snow cone vendor was located. Kevin was surprisingly more social with the Velvet Room attendant than with the other members of SEES. Then again, he and Igor were the only ones besides Kevin and Morgan who were aware of their situation. Somewhat, anyhow. They didn't know the whole story yet, but they knew the two friends hailed from a different world. According to them, even they did not yet know why they had come. But, such an unexpected variable needed to be monitored, hence Theodore's occasional presence.

Even so, the friends could be a bit freer around him, discussing things they normally couldn't talk about otherwise. At this point, the members of the Velvet Room had gathered that the two friends had some foresight in regards to events to come. This was of great concern, fur sure. So far, nothing too major had changed. Hardly anything had changed from the way it was meant to be. Still, Morgan and Kevin were unknowns in the equation., even if they didn't possess as much power as say, Minato or the other more powerful Persona users and creatures they encountered. So, their concern was understandable.

Even if they were odd, their presence was certainly welcome. Even in this quiet interval on the sands of Yakushima.


	17. In the Halls of Tartarus

17. In the Halls of Tartarus

"Alright," Minato instructed the group, "We're going to try and make it up at least five floors tonight."

Morgan and Kevin sat quietly. Five floors wasn't much to them, at least in theory. But, playing a video game and actually wandering around Tartarus during the Dark Hour were two different things. In practice, five floors took the wind right out of the group at this point. But, if they didn't push themselves, they wouldn't adapt to the increasing amount of floors they would need to climb if they ever wanted to get to the top. Of course, they were the only two that knew that at this point. But, having this in mind was something to motivate them, at least.

"Stay sharp," the blue-haired boy drew his sword, and began to lead them onward.

At this point, the two friends shared the party with only Yukari and Junpei. For their current trek, Yukari was waiting at the bottom on Tartarus with Mitsuru. Though, if things got back, they would need to run back and grab her for emergency healing. They were still low in the tower, and nobody was particularly strong yet. Each fight was a struggle. Boss battles? Those were downright excruciating.

"Hey! Over there," Junpei pointed to some shadows that were heading their way, and it looked to be a large group of them. It didn't look like they could slip past them to try and find the stairs, so a battle seemed eminent.

"Get ready!"

Everyone drew their weapons. Junpei held his large sword in his hands ready to swing at the enemy as though he was attempting a home run. Minato held his sword while keeping a free hand placed over his Evoker. As for the two friends, each had their own weapons at the ready as the enemy swarmed in.

Four dark blobs came circling in around the group, each with an identical blue, frowning mask upon it. Such a shadow was a common sight for the group. They were in a big group, but at this point it was something they could handle.

Minato started off by having his persona, Orpheus, try to blitz the enemy with a fire attack. Most of them were stunned, but one managed to dodge the attack. Junpei got the next attack in, taking down the one that Minato missed. At this point, the group swarmed over the enemy, and managed to take it own within a few moments. It took some energy away from them, however.

"We need to find the stairs and keep moving," he instructed the group.

The four of them searched high and low until the stairs made themselves apparent. They climbed to the next floor, beginning the process of finding their way upon once more.

They found themselves battling more enemies, but as the floors went up higher and higher, the enemies got tougher. The other battles that took place that night were not as easy as the first, and there were a few close calls. And the weight of the Dark Hour was quickly bearing down on them at this point, so they couldn't keep going as much as they would have wanted to.

But they struggled towards their goal, eventually making it up four floors before trying to find the stairs to the last one for the night.

At this point, everyone had their Evokers out, trying to exploit elemental weaknesses of the enemies they were running into. At this point, this was a typical night in the halls of Tartarus. But, this was a small step compared to the leaps they'd need to take in later months. It seemed at rather daunting task for the two friends now, as they realized just how difficult climbing Tartarus really was. Of the small group that SEES had now, they were currently the slowest to adapt, and the weakest Persona users.

But, there was hope that this could change in time. After all, they had little choice. They were apart of things now.


End file.
